Chapter 58 Luca
I should’ve stayed in my room. I should’ve ignored the way my chest tightened the second the moon rose and waited it out like every other night that feels like my skin is two sizes too small.
But then Aria texted.
Aria: Can’t sleep. Going for a run so don’t yell at me.
I didn’t even think. I just grabbed my hoodie, vaulted out the window and hit the ground running. By the time I reached the trail behind the school, her scent hit me first. My heartbeat stumbled and very instinct I had roared the same thing: Mine. Get to her.
I cursed under my breath. “Not now. Not tonight.”
The moon pushed against me like a hand between my shoulder blades urging me to shift. My bones ached with the pressure and my wolf under my skin paced snarling every time her scent grew stronger. I found her at the midpoint of the trail, jogging with her headphones in, and ponytail swaying.
I exhaled shakily. “Unbelievable.”
She didn’t see me until I stepped onto the path. She skidded to a stop, breath fogging in the cold air. “Luca? What the hell, you scared me!”
“Good,” I snapped.
Her eyes widened, and I had to force myself to soften my voice. “You shouldn’t be out here alone tonight.”
Her brows knit. “Okay and you are?”
I couldn’t answer not while her scent hit me like a punch to the ribs screaming to move closer to her and the moon whispering against my skin tugging at something ancient inside me.
Aria stepped forward closing the distance. “Are you okay? You look—” Her gaze swept over my face, my hands, my trembling shoulders. “Luca, you look like you’re in pain.”
Pain was an understatement. My vision flickered and jaw clenched hard enough that I tasted blood.
Not here in front of her.
“Aria, you need to go home,” I managed.
She shook her head stubbornly. “You need help. Just tell me what’s wrong.”
I laughed humorlessly. “You have no idea.”
Then she stepped closer. Her hand brushed my forearm and my entire body jolted like she’d plugged me into lightning. My wolf surged up, slamming against my skin so hard I gasped and my knees buckled.
“Luca!” she said, catching my arm.
Everything went white-hot. The part of me that was human started slipping. My hearing sharpened until I could count her heartbeats. My nails lengthened into sharp points and teeth ached, pushing against my gums.
I ripped my arm away, stumbling back. “Don’t don’t touch me. Aria, I mean it.”
She froze. “You’re scaring me.”
Her scent only made my wolf press harder, pushing against my ribs clawing at my throat.
I closed my eyes and a growl was out from my chest before I could hold it back.
Aria stumbled back, hand covering her mouth. “Luca… what was that?”
I bent forward, hands on my knees, fighting for control. “Go home,” I hissed. “Now! Don’t look back.”
She didn’t move.
“Tell me what’s happening,” she whispered.
My vision flashed again. When I looked up, I saw her through gold-tinted eyes. My wolf was winning. My back arched involuntarily with bones shifting and my hoodie tightened across my shoulders.
Aria gasped. “Luca?!”
I hit the ground on my hands, coughing, and choking on my own breath. Claws tore at my palms from the inside. My hearing drowned in the pounding of my own blood. If I shifted here, she’d see the truth and everything would be over.
I gritted out one word between clenched teeth: “Run.”
She still didn’t. Of course Aria freaking Morgan would stand her ground while I was literally transforming in front of her. Then a twig broke behind us. My head jerked up and saw a shadow moving between the trees.
Rafe. Thank the moons!
He sprinted toward us, his expression a mix of panic and fury. “Luca! Stop. Breathe—HEY!”
He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me upright. I snarled, shoving at him but he held tight.
“Not now,” he hissed. “She’s right there.”
“I know,” I growled, or tried to—my voice was warped deeper than it should’ve been.
Aria stared, stunned. “What are you—”
Rafe didn’t look at her. His grip tightened painfully. “Focus on my voice. Pull it together. You’re not losing control here.”
Another crack of bone and I doubled over screaming into my arm and biting down until blood filled my mouth.
Aria took a terrified step forward. “He needs help! Call someone—”
“No!” Rafe barked so sharply she flinched. “Don’t touch him.”
“He’s in pain!”
“You don’t understand,” Rafe snapped. “If you touch him right now, he could—”
He cut himself off glaring at me through the mind link like he wanted to kill me. Luca, if you shift in front of her, your Dad will skin both of us. So Get. It. Together.
My nails dug crescents into the dirt and Rafe grabbed my face between his hands forcing my eyes to meet his.
“Human,” he ordered. “Stay human. Think of something, anything to pull yourself back.”
Aria’s scent hit me again. It almost ruined everything but then I thought of her face when she’d touched me with that stupid, stubborn concern that made her run toward danger instead of away from it. I latched onto that image like a rope thrown to someone drowning and slowly, the pressure eased.
The claws retracted and my spine straightened. I collapsed onto my side, panting hard. Rafe let go, breathing just as heavily as I was. Aria rushed forward, ignoring Rafe’s warning this time. She dropped to her knees beside me, her hands shaking. “Luca—Luca, what is going on? What was that? Are you okay?”
Rafe stood between us instantly. “He’s fine. Muscle spasm.”
Aria stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “A muscle spasm? Don’t you dare lie to me?!”
“Aria.” Rafe took her hands and set them away from me gently. “He’s fine but you need to go home right now.”
She looked between the two of us, confusion and fear knotting her features. “I’m not leaving him like this.”
“You have to,” Rafe insisted. “Please!”
She swallowed. “Luca?”
I forced my head up and her face swam into view worried. “I’m okay,” I rasped. “Just go with him.”
“I don’t want to leave you.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But please just this once, listen.”
After a long beat, she nodded slowly. Rafe shot me a look that promised: We’re talking about this later. Then he guided Aria toward the trailhead, murmuring something low and reassuring. I stayed on the ground until they vanished into the trees. Only then did I let myself breathe again.
And the terrifying truth hit me: I almost shifted for her not because of the moon only but because of her. My wolf wasn’t reacting to fear but want. And that was so much worse.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
UM, HELLO??? This chapter got FERAL.
Luca almost shifting in front of Aria and Rafe literally diving in like “bro NOT IN FRONT OF THE HUMAN”. I was screaming the entire time writing this. Let me know if your jaw dropped, because DAMN!!.